The correct answer is A) an autocratic ruler who introduced limited reforms but retained absolute power.
The statement that best describes Catherine the Great is "an autocratic ruler who introduced limited reforms but retained absolute power."
Catherine the Great (1729-1796) was the monarch of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She married Grand Duke Peter, known as Tsar Peter III. They had one son, Paul, that succeeded her after her death.
Tsar Peter was deposed, killed, and Catherine was named monarch of Russia. She was considered an autocratic ruler who introduced limited reforms but retained absolute power.